


Opacity

by StarDusty



Series: Crystalline [2]
Category: DMMd, DRAMAtical Murder
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Eventual Smut, Fluff and Smut, M/M, Mild Language, mermaid au, probably
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-25
Updated: 2014-04-25
Packaged: 2018-01-20 19:02:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1522103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarDusty/pseuds/StarDusty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's a simple life for a jellyfish prince, just drifting along with the current, until he comes along.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Opacity

I like the ocean. I like it a lot. The feeling of being surrounded by water is amazing in a way you couldn't understand unless you experienced it. My world is parallel to the vast skies, surrounded by blue, with rainbows of fish, incredible soaring manta rays, and the stars of the phytoplankton when it gets dark. I'm blessed, so blessed, but as luck would have it, I haven't even had the best of it yet.

I look at myself in the mirror-like ripples of the water. I've been out here for 3 hours, just watching the sun. The water is almost unbelievably calm, and I'm able to study my face with relative ease. I examine my light skin, pink eyes and white hair.  
"Ugh, this won't do!" I say to myself, running my hands through my hair. It has the slightest green tint to it, suggesting that algae may be growing. That'd be fine if I was a commoner or maybe even one of the middle-class, but I'm a prince, and I have to look perfect all the time. It's a pain, honestly. Countless girls have called me cute, but, I look more or less exactly the same as my older twin brothers, save for the two moles on my chin, my slightly paler skin, the more subtle definition of my torso, and most notably my pure white bell-like tail, whereas theirs are much greyer, but to be honest, I don't think any of those girls would care which one of us three paid attention to them, they more or less see us as exactly the same person. I'd feel almost insulted, but of the countless princesses and daughters of people with fancy titles I don't care enough to remember, none of them struck me as interesting, no matter how much they fawned over me. I'm sure I've broken a few hearts, but I can't bring myself to like them, no matter how hard I try.  
I reach my hand into the water and scoop out a mass of seaweed that was floating by, and throw it around my neck. Seeing my reflection, I giggle a little. Humans do things like this, I hear.

I've always been incredibly interested in the human world, but every time I've expressed it my father insisted that I should never see it. I don't know why he feels so, but he says a prince has no place frolicking with people.  
Suddenly irritated, I make a fist with my hand and hit the water. I don't want to be a prince. I don't want to be like my eldest brother Aleph. I don't want to be like my older brother Primus. And I certainly don't want to be like my father Toue. I don't think they want to be as I am. But I couldn't care less. I spend most of my time staying with my grandfather, anyway. His daughter, my mother, passed away in a storm 10 years ago, and at first I only visited him out of pity, because I thought he was lonely. Now, however, I visit him daily of my own volition. He taught me so many things, about the human world, how they walk, have incredibly complex machines that can do things I could never imagine, illuminate the night no matter how dark it may get. I learnt a lot from him, and I want to learn more for myself, but he discourages me, knowing my father would punish me if I ever get too close.  
Well, today I just might be.  
I sigh, dropping my lower half into the water and allowing myself to submerge. Jellyfish aren't built for speed. They just float around as they please, and wherever the current takes them is where they're going. I only have the bottom half of a jellyfish, so I can go a little faster, but I'm definitely not going to win any races any time soon.  
I make my way back home- we built our palace out of ancient remains, decorated it with pebbles and shells, driftwood and pearls. It's grand, flashy, and totally over the top, just like my family.  
"Hey, hey!" "Look who it is!" the duplicates chime. It's frankly creepy how much they look like me, and how much they look like each other. But they thrive off being mirror images, symmetry, and being annoying. They each put a hand on one of my shoulders.  
"Huuuh, little brother, what are you doing with this seaweed?" "Are you playing dressup games? Are you a girl?"  
"Boys can wear what they want, and so can girls, it's not your business." I retort, pushing the green velvety strands off of my neck. I really do not feel like dealing with them today. I have more important things to do, anyway. They continue to call after me, but I am going to my room whether they want me to or not.  
My room is probably the most out of place room in the palace. I let seaweed grow from the ceiling and floor, and when it got long enough, I would weave it and use it to hang glass. Bottles, jars, cups, anything glass I could get a hold of. In the ocean, lighting was rare and expensive, but my grandpa taught me how to make lights in glass balls, so my room had a glow to it. I look at myself in a particularly reflective slab of glass I found one day. Grandpa tells me it's called a mirror, I think that's bizzare. Humans are bizzare.  
But also so interesting.  
I take a deep breath, run a comb through my hair, and quickly grab some food left over from this morning.  
Here goes.  
**********  
I was swimming for two, maybe three hours by the time I reached the coast. Damnit, why am I so nervous? I thought this was what I wanted, but it feels like my heart is going to beat out of my chest. My throat is completely dry, although there's nobody around. I sigh, lean my back against the wall, pick some climbing flowers, and begin to braid them into my hair. I sing softly, a song I remember from my mother. It fills my mind with memories of her, of her warmth and the way she used to hug me after I fought with dad, ruffle my hair, and tell me that it was okay that I was different because I was still wonderful no matter how many people I'd clash with for the way I was. I miss her, but the years have made the pain less raw. I can only imagine how Grandpa feels when he remembers her. He tells me I look just like her, with a sadness in his eyes and a smile on his face.  
I must have only been there for half an hour when I swear I hear something. But that's impossible, I would have noticed, right? I dismiss it as me being anxious, and continue. A rock falls into the water beside me, and I quickly look up.  
A man with sunbrowned honey skin and long turquoise hair is looking at me intently. His eyes are an unusual golden brown shade, and they draw me in. I never thought I'd say this about a guy, but he's fairly handsome. He reminds me of an exotic bird, all bright brilliant blue plumage.  
Silence. It only becomes more uncomfortable as time goes by, so maybe I should say something? But I don't know what to say.  
I look down. Human legs. I've never seen them so close before. I wonder if he'd mind if I-  
"H-hey! What the hell do you think you're doing!! That's fuckin' dangerous, asshole!" He snaps at me as I reach out to touch his knee. Are all humans so highly strung? I don't think there's anything wrong with what I'm doing, is there? I retract my hand and continue on with braiding the blossoms in my hand.  
"I-I'm sorry..." I say, hoping he isn't mad at me. After what felt like forever, he sighs exasperatedly and slumps down on the rock I have my back against. I allow myself to glance back at his legs. They're caramel coloured, and just so... Weird. Slowly, I reach my hand back out, hoping that he'll accept it this time. He flinches slightly when I touch him, but he relaxes slowly after.  
"This is so strange..." I mutter. I didn't think he could hear me, but apparently he does and he replies.  
"What are you talking about? You're the one feeling me up out of fucking nowhere." he scoffs. Is he mad at me, or are humans just rude? I refuse to let silence come back.   
"I've never seen a human so close before... Normally I obey my Grandpa and dad and stay away, but today was the day I had to." He eyes me like he thinks I'm insane.  
"What d'you mean you haven't seen a human so close before? You look pretty human to m-" He suddenly stops, and his eyes widen, and he's staring at the water around me. At these point, it dawns on me that he mustn't have realized before.  
"You... You... What the hell?!!" He screams at me, motioning towards my tentacles. He then goes quiet, and very pale.  
"Are you alright? You look a little pale, is something the matter?" I ask him, trying to be polite. He might have been a little rude so far, but I really want to make him my friend, for some strange reason. I just look at him and know he's a good person.  
"Okay, but, right, so. I think I might be a little crazy, or you are a half jellfyish" he says flatly, as if all of his surprise has been used up.  
"Correct!" I grin. He looks as if he's just seen an alien, which I suppose isn't too far from the truth. He goes silent for a moment or so. I should probably at least find something out about him so I might be able to find him again.  
"What's your name?" I inquire, tilting my head slightly.  
"A-Aoba... Aoba Seragaki." He stutters.  
"My name's Clear! It's nice to meet you, Aoba!" I reply. I stroke the smooth thin vine in my palms, looking at the perfect ring formation. I don't mean to brag, but I'm pretty good with my hands, especially braiding stuff. Whilst he's still in a shake of shock, I slip the flower bracelet around his slender wrist. He suddenly stares at me, as if I'd shaken him awake, then stares at his wrist. I look at him, hoping he'll sense that I like him. I don't understand humans, or their emotions, but I want to.   
I sigh. If I want to get home before my dad starts asking questions, I'm gonna have to go now  
"It's getting late. I need to go." I tell him, apologetically. But, if I seem sad, he might not want to see me again, so I make myself smile.  
"I'll see you soon, okay?" I yell before dropping under the water. I hope he likes me.  
But it's not like I can hear even if he calls after me.  
*************************************************  
I hurry into Grandpa's place.  
"Clear? This is late for you to come, how are you?"  
"Grandpa will you be mad at me if I tell you what I did today?" He looks at me quizzically, but he smiles.  
"Clear. I won't get mad at you. What is it you want to tell me about?"  
"I met a boy today! Not just any boy, a human boy! His name's Aoba, and his hair reminds me of a siamese fighting fish! But he didn't hit me or anything, so don't worry! But I have to see him again! I'm going tomorrow! Isn't this super exciting?"  
A few moments pass in silence.  
"Clear?" Grandpa finally says.  
"Yes?"  
"Remember when I told you I wouldn't get mad?"  
"Yes!"  
"I may have to revoke that. Clear, we have discussed this many times. You cannot enter the human world. You cannot talk to humans or look at humans or befriend humans because if your dad finds out there will be a lot of trouble, understand?"  
It feels like I've been uppercutted right in the chest. But there is no way I'm giving up.  
"Grandpa, I refuse. I'm going back. I'm going to see him again. We're going to be friends, and I'm gonna do things that humans do with him. And I will not get caught." He looks me in the eye as if he's been defeated and sighs. Wow, that was easier that I thought.  
"Clear, you are absolutely impossible." I look at him and laugh. And he's smiling too.  
************  
It's 6am the next morning. I clasp the things Grandpa gave me yesterday.  
"Heeeeeeeyy!! Meeeerrriiinn!!!" I call. A few moments pass, and a dark shadow drifts towards me. First, I see her hair, her impossibly black long hair decorated at her temples with coral. Then, I see her eyes, which seem just as dark until the sun glints into them. She looks at me, now visible from the waist up. Her wet bistre skin glints in the sunlight.  
"Clear, are you up to no good again?" She laughs. Merin is a good friend of mine, even though she's a lot older than me. She wears nothing except a shark tooth on a string around her neck, probably won from a fight she'd had. A scar runs its way across her face, with countless smaller ones on her chest and arms. Well, that's just how the killer whale folk are. I'm just glad I'm on her good side.  
"I'm guessing you need a ride?" I'm fairly tall, but Merin is a giant, and even if she wasn't she could still probably carry me. Grandpa says she's like an amazon lady. I called her that once and she hit me. I still don't know why.  
We chat about anything and everything as she carries me to the shore. I tell her about Aoba, and how I have to see him again today.  
"Your father won't be happy~" She says teasingly. She knows my father and I have a pretty strained relationship, but I trust her.  
Eventually, we arrive at the coast, and she helps me onto the rock I met Aoba by yesterday.  
"Do you know this'll work? I'm not too keen on the idea of carrying you all the way home unless you're gonna get some action."  
"Meerriiin!!" I blush. "It's not like that!" She laughs.  
"Sure, sure." She says. I tie the braid Grandpa gave me to one of my tentacles like he told me.  
And then I had legs. Not to mention, I was naked.  
"Boy, you need to wear clothes otherwise you're gonna get arrested." She remarks, handing me the items I was carrying.  
The clothes I was given were perfectly fitting. Of course. I don't know how my Grandpa knows what he does, but I'm glad. Merin waves before disappearing beneath the rippling water. I'm pretty sure she's gonna go pick a fight with one of the Octopi clan around here.  
I look down at my legs. I keep repeating the words in my head. Legs, legs, legs... I never thought this would happen. But here we are.   
Time to explore.  
I see something small and fluffly, and it's attached to a person by some strange extension, it reminds me of my tentacles. The fluffly creature approaches me and makes a strange sound. I slowly reach out my hand to touch it. It's soft.  
"Flufffluff..." I hum. The strange creature licks my hand. I hope it's not poisonous. Dying on my first day in the human world isn't exactly what I had in mind. But the human the fluffly creature is attached to is smiling. She looks kind.  
"Ohh, look there, look who has a new friend! My little baby's making friends!" This can't be... Is this what human babies look like? I've never seen one, but this certainly seems to be the case. How odd. Does the appendage fall off when they get older? I suppose they do look somewhat similar.  
After a few minutes of playing with the human child, the woman waves to me and tells me to come back for cake some time. This human is nice. I am beginning to thing Aoba may not have been representative of the human population. Oh yeah, I'm looking for Aoba! How could I forget! The furry child creature distracted me. I'll make a note not to let it happen again.  
I see something strange. There are several of them. They are tall and brown with odd green... things... protuding out. They kind of remind me of Merin. I wonder if I can climb on these too. I walk up to the Merin-thing and put my arms around it. It isn't as soft or warm as Merin, which is pretty disappointing, but I shall see if I can get on to it. I wonder if these are transport in the human world? I put my feet on the Merin's limbs, apologising as I go in case this Merin is not as strong as my Merin. I sit myself on a limb. It makes an odd loud sound. I hope that the Merin is okay.  
Crash.  
I do not know what happened, but now it seems I'm on the floor. I look up at the Merin. The limb I was sat on is gone.   
"I'm sorry Merin, but your limb seems to have fallen off. I must go now. I'll see you again soon." I bow. I wonder where Aoba could be. I see people heading down a sandy street, so I decide to follow them. I'm sure I'll find Aoba where there are many people.  
It's loud, busy and bustling. What sort of place is this? I can smell strange things, there are brightly decorated buildings everywhere, people are laughing and chatting. Maybe with Aoba this would be better, but right now I just feel nervous.  
I see turquoise hair, caramel skin and an I don't care expression. I have found him!  
"AOOOOBAAAAA!!!" I yell, not caring about who stares at me. I push my face into his. He feels really hot, I hope he isn't ill or something. I want him to take me around town.  
"You-you, what, I don't, understand, here." He mumbles into my hair.  
"Okay okay okay, so, I told Grandpa and he was mad and he yelled and I cried a little, but then he basically just told me "Oh kids are just like that nowadays it can't be helped here you go Clear" in his grandpa voice, and then he said there was a way I could be human! So he gave me this anklet, and now, I have legs as long as I keep it on!" I tell him. I'm so happy I can see him again that I could cry. I think I might be crying, actually, I'm not too sure.  
"That makes no sense." He mutters. But I grab his arm. I want to see everything.  
And that's how my life begins.


End file.
